Leveling device



L. L. WHITNEY.

LEVELING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. I918.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922;

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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LEVELING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1913.

1,404,917. Patented Jan. 31,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LEAF??? Java/Liar, $076765 UNITED STA LOREN L. WHITNEY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDBIES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LEVELIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1918. Serial No. 217,009.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOREN L. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLevelingDe vices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to leveling devices for brake beams.

i The object of the invention is to simplify the means for supporting leveling devices and further to compensate for wear between such devices and associated brake beams.

Generally speaking this and other objects are accomplished by providing in a railway car truck, the combination of a support, oppositely extending resilient leveling members, means for connecting their inner ends whereby the members may be readily assembled and disassembled, and means carried by an associated brake beam for compensating for wear due to sliding engagement between the parts.

The inventionis illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a railway car truck, embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation oi. the same, parts being in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation, showing the means for supporting the resilient leveling device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken in the plane of line 4 l of Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are detailed views showing a portion of the tension member of a trussed brake beam upset to compensate for wear. 7

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that I have shown my invention in connection with a railway car truck, including a spring plank 10, to which hangers 21 are connected, said hangers near their lower ends having apertures for receiving and supporting oppositely extending resilient leveling bars 12, the outer ends of which are bent at an angle upwardly whereby they may slidably receive the tension members 13 0t brake beams, which lie over the leveling bars. To compensate for wear which results from the sliding action of the tension member 13 upon the leveling members, I have upset the tension members 18 in a manner to form oiiset cam portions 14, the, thickest part of which engages the leveling members 12. The upset portions 14 of each tension member are arranged intermediate the ends thereof and preferably only at points adjacent the leveling member. The inner ends of the separable leveling members '12 are connected to the spring plank 10 by a single bolt 22, one end of which receives a securing nut 23. These resilient leveling bars 12 may be readily connected in operative position and withdrawn-therefrom by manipulating a single bolt 22.

The hanger for the two opposite leveling bars comprises but a single element completely overlying the plank and having dowmvardly extending portions upon either side of the plank. The securing means comprises a single bolt located centrally of the plank and this bolt secures to the plank the overlapping ends of the leveling members. The leveling members are intermediately supported by the downwardly extending portions of the hanger. The construction involves a minimum or" parts and may be assembled or taken down expeditiously and easily.

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the sc pe of the following claim.

I claim:

In a railway car truck, the combination of: a spring plank, a single hanger member secured to said spring plank completely overlying the same and'having downwardly eX- tending portions, the securing means comprising a single bolt located centrally of the plank, and a pair of leveling members we tending from opposite sides of the plank, said members being intermediately supported by the downwardly extending portions of the hanger and having their inner ends overlapping centrally of the plank, and

Patented J an. 31, 1922.

secured together and to the plank by the.-

LOREN L. WHITNEY. 

